Sleeping With The Enemy
by Zoser
Summary: Scene to fill in Reckoning I & II and Threads. Sam and Jack ship.


The call came in the middle of the night. It was the Tok'ra, their oh so loyal ally who, not so very long ago, had turned their back on the SGC with an air of superiority and arrogance. For them O'Neill had to leave his warm and cozy bed and his new bed mate.

This situation was new and Jack wasn't quite sure how he fell into it. But fall he did and he was enjoying it. It was nice not to be alone all the time. It was nice not to have to dwell on things that might have been but… best not to think about it, she was getting married. And if Jack didn't screw this up he'd have a date for the wedding and not look like the pathetic looser he felt like.

Okay, dwelling again, get up, get dressed and get off to work. Jack wondered again why the hell did he take this job. Jack wandered into the kitchen and found some coffee left from after dinner. Kerry made it just a few hours ago so he nuked a cup and sipped it on his way to the mountain hoping to be awake enough to be civil to the unexpected visitor at the base. Jack mind ran in circles as he drove to the base.

_Maybe it would be Jacob and the day wouldn't be a total loss but Carter wasn't here. _

_Life was too damned complicated – just hadda stop thinking about Carter. _

_She rejected you, Jack so get a grip and move on. _

_You left a beautiful willing woman in your bed - think about her. _

_What does Carter see in that doofus? _

_What does it say about me if she chose him over me? _

_I was never in the running, never made the cut. _

_What does Kerry see in me?_

_God, you'd think with all the 'activity' I had with Kerry I'd feel a little more 'satisfied'?_

_The world could end at any minute – everyone or dare I say thing is at each others throats and all I think about is...geez._

_

* * *

_

Kerry nestled deeper in the warm and comfy bed. Jack was off to work at this ungodly hour and she had the bed to herself.

It had been a wonderful night, she ran her fingers through her silky hair. It must have been a long time for him since he touched a woman. Or maybe it was just the way he was, slow and gentle, exploring as though it was so new and so wonderful, she ran her hand down her slim body. She kind of liked it but really when you get down to it a job's a job. Okay so this one had perks, he was good looking, didn't have too many annoying habits and, god forbid, she didn't have to wait on him hand and foot. No, no, no, that would have made this job a living hell – she didn't do Suzy homemaker.

He was a general – she could check that off her list. Well, if fact she had slept with other generals but they were assignments too and usually smelled of cigars and liniment. He had a nice body but she was surprised at the scars she found, many more than she expected from the briefing she had been given. He must have notice her unease and wore more to bed after their first encounter. He didn't seem particularly shy about nudity but was probably being considerate of her. She had to keep reminding herself it was an assignment, he was easy to like. And best of all she didn't have to be there every minute, he was a workaholic. And the poor bastard was lonely and grateful for her attention, her availability, her sweet seduction. Little did he know it was ordered, planned and just a job. The NID and CIA were very interested in this man and his rather unique genome and Kerry was just another operative but with her our unique specialty which allowed her to obtain specimens of said genome.

Kerry's assignment had come about originally because of something in the general's house that prevented the NID and CIA's microphones or cameras from working properly. With the unsettling events of the alien incursion in Steveson, the barber and O'Neill incident and the infiltration of the Trust, aka the Kinsey affair, the CIA and NID were not taking chances on not being fully informed. The blackout from O'Neill's house, they surmised, was either due to Carter or Asgard's technology interfering or suspecting the worst case scenario, the Goa'uld, so they sent in a non-tech resource – Kerry Johnson.

She had come in the guise of a CIA liaison to the SGC. She was instrumental in installing better security in the facility. This gave her and her operatives access to the labs where they obtained blood samples of General Jack O'Neill. Her handlers wanted to do further research on the Ancient Gene and possibly other genes that made O'Neill special.

The seduction was so easy; the smiles just for him, the low cut clingy outfits, a professionalism and competence in her job as CIA liaison. And that spark, that instant attraction making a seemingly shy girl act boldly. It hadn't take more than 10 days, a few laughs at meetings, lunch in his office, a little late night dinner after meetings, and then the late night drink and invitation up to her room. The fish swallowed the bait, the hook was set and now after reeling him in, all she had to do was take what she wanted and toss back the remains. She really kind of liked him and hoped she wouldn't have to gut the poor fish before throwing him back.

It suddenly occurred to her perhaps it was too easy. Maybe he was playing her. No, no she didn't think so and relaxed again in the comfy bed.

Under that gruff military exterior he was sweet; there was something old fashion about him that said 'gentleman'. They did discuss that major sticking point, their work. He was the one who brought it up, how very convenient. No, they would never let this 'thing' between them interfere with their most important task, the safety of the planet. It would give her an easy out when the time came.

Even with his somewhat strange sense of humor – she did try to laugh or at least smile at his jokes, there was an underlying sadness. She could tell he wasn't completely there, that he held something of himself in reserve and it was a challenge to her. Well, what the hell, she didn't really need all of him, body and soul, just a small bit of his body, well luckily for her, not too small.

Kerry wondered if he could taste the Viagra like substance reinforced with a mild aphrodisiac in the coffee. It was the finest the CIA labs had to offer. Poor dope just took another dose on his way to Cheyenne Mountain and no way to work off the effects. Boy is he going to be grouchy. She smiled as she drifted off to sleep thinking of the effects of the first dose – absolutely breathtaking.

* * *

You could hear him coming down the hall. To those he spoke to it was in harsh loud terms finding something, no matter how trivial, to reprimand them for. Others you could hear scrambling to get the hell out of his way. Reynolds and Dixon were no fools; they watched from a distance and pitied poor Walter. O'Neill was in rare form and if you valued you life you gave the man a wide berth.

He put on a good show for Jacob. Did his goofy routine till he was brought back to earth with the Replicators gnawing ship throughout the galaxy and Ba'al showing up for a social call, and Daniel beamed away to god knows where.

This day couldn't get much stranger as Carter, the bearer of more bad news, nearly ran him down while he was sitting at his desk. He dismissed her for paperwork, how lame.

He wanted to grab her and shake her. Tell her that he needed her. But he was happier not needing anyone – what a crock of shit but he clung to the ridiculous vision of himself. He wanted her to need him and it seemed that would never happen. Or maybe it just did and he dismissed her, dismissed her to that cop. He was so damned tired of slapping on the happy face for her, pretending he didn't care. Was he trying to convince her or himself – he just wasn't sure anymore. Scowling at open door he tried to put his life in perspective. Dwelling on this was useless so he buried himself in the tedium of work.

He did get some relief from the craziness with a few hours at home and the sweet release with Kerry in his bed.

Then back to the insanity at the mountain. Not only was Earth in peril but all life in the Galaxy. They were overrun with those revolting mechanical bugs he was sure this was the time the self destruct would finally bring down the mountain upon itself. As he fought for his life he had little time to think of his team, no not his team - SG-1. They were scattered to the four winds Carter on Dakara, holding the power to obliterate all life; Teal'c in a ship protecting that planet; and Daniel, who knew. And here he was fighting for the life of his men and the safety of Earth. Desperately trying to get out through the Stargate before the nuke came flying down the silo.

Then they stopped, the bloody bug just stopped in their tracks and he and Reynolds proceeded to blow them to bits. But there were too many to let this little respite to give them the upper hand. Before they knew it, before Siler could get the gate open, the relentless march of destruction began again.

When he thought he would lose his base and his men the Stargate opened and an energy wave passed through and the bugs came apart, their pieces clattering to the ground. Sam had again saved the day, her brilliance and tenacity destroying the enemy while Teal'c defended her. And Daniel, well was it Daniel that gave them the time to effect the victory.

No time to think, it was time to secure the base sweep for any last stragglers and stop the bomb before they were all blown to kingdom come. Notify the higher ups, call Carter and Teal'c, write god knows how many reports then sleep for a week.

* * *

He was exhausted and hoped Kerry wouldn't be expecting anything tonight. He barely had the strength to drive home and dive into bed, not a drop of reserves to be civil let alone perform. He guessed he had been trying hard to impress her. Good god she was so young. This affair was still new; he was still on his best behavior, definitely no noxious emissions in her presences. With Carter he could be himself, there wasn't anything she hadn't heard or seen. She saw him puke on her boots, saw him convulsed in pain and even engage in the odd farting contests with the guys. Sam wasn't prissy, Sam knew him, knew his moods and all his quirks. Maybe that was the answer to why, maybe she knew him all to well and didn't want what she saw.

He though once she had loved him. If so, he no longer could sense it but he foolishly had clung to the sweet memory. It was an illusion that he had to dispel. He was going home, home to another woman.

* * *

Why do they have to keep waking him up at ungodly hours? They even had Carter call because they thought he wouldn't slam the phone down on her or yell to loudly.

There were a few days of almost peace. The remnants of Ba'al fleet had high tailed it out of Jaffa space. The Kull warriors seemed no longer a threat with out the controlling mind of Anubis. Carter and her dad were back on Earth and in for a meeting with Bra'tac and Teal'c, who now represented the Jaffa.

The weapon on Dakara was too powerful to remain. It had to be destroyed and everyone knew it but seemed powerless to pull the plug. The Tok'ra seemed toothless these days, the Jaffa could not resist holding on to something so incredible powerful for the first time in their lives. The SGC could advise and even scheme to possess or destroy the weapon but they didn't have the ships and didn't need the newly forming nation of Free Jaffa as enemies.

Just when the worst the galaxy had to throw at them seemed over, problems at home had the space to dominate Jack's conscienceness. Sam was off to pick flowers for her wedding. He smiles and encouraged her but it cut him to the quick.

And Jacob, what was that about? It was almost like he was mocking her or goading her. Jack suspected Jacob meeting with Shanahan didn't go too well. Jacob didn't say anything, just made a face like he'd swallowed something distasteful. Thinking of Jacob, he didn't look to good – for a Tok'ra. Well they had had an unusually stressful week, they were all probably looking a bit peaked. And Daniel, still no word, he had to think positive. Daniel dead and gone to an unknown end was not an option.

* * *

Kerry was puttering around the kitchen, defrosting a steak and making a salad for a late lunch. Jack had called and said he would be back soon, the Jaffa were conferring, Carter was picking flower for her wedding and he had an afternoon free and a cold beer and a grilled steak were on his agenda.

Kerry thought about the Shanahan-Carter nuptials, that was one wedding she didn't think would ever happen. After Shanahan did his search of Samantha Carter through his FBI buddy, he was the one who was investigated and watched. Carter was rather naïve to let him into her home and heart.

The SGC members needed to be more vigilant – there were actual enemies, not only out there but right here on Earth. Her outfit had gotten a push back from General Hammond. He wanted his people to have as much of a normal home life as possible considering the unusual experiences in their professional lives. They did not need paranoia at home on top of everything else. The agency Kerry worked for thought a little paranoia was a good thing.

Kerry saw herself as part of the front line of the defense of Earth, not only a defense against a common Alien enemy but also as a civilian check on the military. She knew Jack O'Neill was a patriot; she was sure now, paranoia notwithstanding, he wasn't the enemy. He was loyal and, god knows, self sacrificing but she had her role to play. He, too, like Carter, had let some one into his life too easily. Yes, he had Kerry checked out knowing that she would know about it and they could laugh about it. He must have know that she could manipulate that data. Again she wondered if he were playing her.

Kerry knew about the Zar'tac incident and what Samantha Carter and Jack had revealed. It raised two questions: why, regs. be damned, weren't they together or why, according to regs. were they in the same command structure. Hammond could have chosen to dress them down and read them the riot act or look the other way. Maybe it was all talk and no action. Maybe they had a fling and it was over. No, she didn't think so. Even though there were the invincible Kull warriors, Jack brought Carter home from the destroyed Alpha base, he searched fruitlessly when the Prometheus went missing. And Carter risked everything, her fiance, her job, her life to find the Asgard to save Jack from endless stasis. She knew what it would do to him, Hathor had already played that game. No, they still had a thing for one another. Kerry could see it when Samantha Carter watched her flirt with O'Neill.

Kerry knew what she would do – destroy the samples she had gathered. She would do this rather than hand them over to some anonymous someone she wasn't sure of. She was already in the process of tightening up security at the SGC. And then...make an opportunity for these two. Was she actually going to play Cupid? She wondered if there were a Goa'uld out there with that guise.

She heard Jack coming in the front door and with a quick greeting he was out back getting the grill started. He bolted back in, grabbed a beer and the steak which he flung onto the roaring flames. She smiled thinking perhaps this was the last time she'd pretend not to know where everything in his house was, the last time they would share a meal as a couple, the last of the intimacy, her last chance to gain genetic material was already gone. Foolish, possibly destructive of advancement in the agency but...hmm, she thought she heard a car pull into the driveway.

* * *

He was amazed how easily he let Kerry slip away – not that he would ever beg or that he didn't even care – it wasn't that either. There was a sting – she could have loved him and, perhaps if he had allowed himself, he could have reciprocated. It was there in the mix of emotions but when he faced the reality of his deepest feelings; it was Sam at his very core. As much as he tried to squash these feelings, it was Sam. It was always Sam. And right now she needed his support and she would have it.

He got up from his desk and went to the infirmary.


End file.
